1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a steering platform for use on a small working vehicle such as a riding lawn mower or a riding agricultural machine.
2. Background of The Invention
A conventional working vehicle, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,417, for example, has a steering column erected in a front position, and a brake pedal and a gear shift pedal for backward and forward running arranged at opposite sides of the steering column. The vehicle includes a wide framework to provide a main floor for supporting the steering column, and footrests for supporting the driver's feet which operate the different pedals. This frame structure, because of its large width, requires a considerable thickness for strength. Where such a steering platform structure is employed on a front-mount type lawn mower, the framework must be set to a high level for a grass cutting unit to be vertically movable by a large amount. This results in an increased height over the ground of the entire steering platform, reducing stability of the vehicle. Conversely, if the steering platform is set to a low level, the grass cutting unit has a reduced space for vertical movement due to obstruction presented by bottom parts of the framework.
In a tractor as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,575 in which a grass cutting unit may be mounted in an intermediate position thereof, a steering platform is composed of a main floor defined by a framework extending through the center of the tractor, and footrests attached through brackets or the like to side walls of the framework. In such a construction, the footrest mounting brackets must have a relatively large vertical span for attachment to the side walls of the framework in order to secure sufficient rigidity. As a result, lower ends of the brackets can be obstructive to attachment of the grass cutting unit and a space for its vertical movement.